Presentation
Stefaan De Croock (1982) is a Belgian contemporary artist. After earning a master's degree in fine arts at Sint-Lucas in Ghent, he became a full-time artist in 2011, pushing boundaries ever since. His work is recognized and acclaimed in galleries worldwide—from Miami, Montreal and Mexico City to Stockholm and Bangkok. At the core of De Croock's work is the essence of time and the exploration of life's transience. He employs materials with symbolic meaning, such as weathered wood, ancient marble, resilient steel and fragile ceramics. In his quest for artistic meaning, the artist reconfigures primal matter into a broad spectrum of unique portraits. Through these portraits, he re-examines the paradox of what it means to be human. What makes us unique and different, yet equal and alike at the same time? Life and time shape us all through personal experiences and the stories we construct to remember them. This process inevitably leaves scars, which De Croock finds beautiful, recognizing them as integral to each person's unique journey toward humanity. The natural aesthetic imprint of the used material reflects and represents the intrinsic and unique history of all that is. This visual result of a slow process harmoniously blends with the figurative reference to the human state of mind and emotion, forming a metaphor for the different personal stories that shape us. As De Croock states, "The materials hold something magical. They possess a certain spontaneity, impossible to recreate. They show an amazing imprint of everything that ever happened to them. You can 'see' time. It's a privilege to be able to use it.” De Croock's art work is a poetic reflection on human experience and the perpetual passage of time. The artist grants these objects a return to the human timeline, connecting their past with a new future, location and purpose for all of us to contemplate and reflect on.
CV, Bio, Bibliography
Solo Exhibitions (Selection)
2024
‘In Limbo' – Nosbaum Reding Bruxelles – Brussels – Belgium
2023
'So Many Signs' – Diskus – Aalst – Belgium
2021
‘It's only a matter of time' – Musea Brugge – Bruges – Belgium
2019
‘One More Day' – Transfo – Zwevegem – Belgium
‘Untold' – JLS Gallery – Mexico City – Mexico
2017
‘Out of Sight' – Ghent – Belgium
2015
Budafabriek at Buda Arts Center – Kortrijk – Belgium
Group Exhibitions (Selection)
2024
Art Brussels – Nosbaum Reding – Brussels – Belgium
Art Paris – Nosbaum Reding – Paris – France
BRAFA – Nosbaum Reding – Brussels – Belgium
2023
Kunstbiënnale Prinsenhof – Ghent – Belgium
Triënnale GIST – Zennevallei – Belgium
Installation – A.I.R. Hektor – Los Valles – Lanzarote
2022
‘The New Portrait' – størpunkt gallery for contemporary art – Munich – Germany
2021
‘A Butterfly's Scream' – PAK – Psyciatrisch Centrum Sint-Amandus – Beernem – Belgium
2020
Installation ‘Portrait of a human being' – OMG! Van Eyck was here – Ghent – Belgium
2019
Kunstenfestival Watou 2019 – Watou – Belgium
‘Nie wiem' – d'Oede Schole – Damme – Belgium
‘Chambres Séparées' – PAK, platform voor actuele kunsten – Gistel – Belgium
Art Wynwood Fair – Robert Fontaine Gallery – Miami, FL – USA
Palm Beach Modern & Contemporary Art Fair – Robert Fontaine Gallery – Palm Beach, FL – USA
2018
Art Miami – Robert Fontaine Gallery – Miami, FL – USA
Installation ‘Obrońca' at the Imperial Shipyard – Gdańsk – Poland
Group show – JLS Gallery – Mexico City – Mexico
‘Contemporary Transformations' – Duke Contemporary Art Space – Bangkok – Thailand
Palm Beach Modern & Contemporary Art Fair – Robert Fontaine Gallery – Palm Beach, FL – USA
2017
Art Miami – Robert Fontaine Gallery – Miami, FL – USA
Annual winter group show – Galleri Christoffer Egelund – Copenhagen – Denmark
‘There are no limits' – Curated by Thinkspace at No Limit Boras – Borås – Sweden
‘Summertime '17' – Galleri Christoffer Egelund – Copenhagen – Denmark
Artfair Mural Festival – Montreal – Canada
‘Anamorphic Portraiture' – Mirus Gallery – San Francisco, CA – USA
‘LAX/DTW: Detroit Hustle II' – Curated by Thinkspace at Inner State Gallery – Detroit, MI – USA
Mural for The Crystal Ship – Ostend – Belgium
2016
Exhibition upcoming artists – The Flanders Informal Summit – Bijloke – Ghent – Belgium
Exhibition (with Stien Bekaert) – ARTBEAT Ghent Festival 2016 – Eskimo Factory – Ghent – Belgium
‘Remix' – Galerie C.O.A – Montreal – Canada
Installation – Art Truc Troc – Bozar – Brussels – Belgium
2015
Exhibition curated by Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens – Huis Van Wassenhove – Sint-Martens-Latem – Belgium
Selected for the Christie's and paddle 8 auction at Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens – Deurle – Belgium
Digital artwork – Vooruit Arts Center – Ghent – Belgium
Atelier Bonk – pop-up expo ‘Rue de Flandre' – Paris – France
Mural and Expo Mechelen Muurt – Mechelen – Belgium
Exhibition ‘Merkemveld' – private viewing – Bruges – Belgium
2014
Exhibition ‘RASTERS' – Die Keure – Bruges – Belgium
Exhibition Summer Josephine's – Antwerp – Belgium
Belgian Pavilion MIPIM – Cannes – France
Mural ‘Wood & Paint' – London Calling – Bruges – Belgium
Mural – Vooruit & Voka – Ghent – Belgium
2013
Exhibition ‘Ontmaskerd' – Het Schepenhuys – Oedelem – Belgium
Life Performance Salone Del Mobile – Atelier Bonk – Milan – Italy
Life Performance ITB Berlin – Visit Flanders – Berlin – Germany
Exhibition Kapow Collective – Warmond – The Netherlands
Mural and Expo – Day One Street Art Festival – Luchtbal – Antwerp – Belgium
Mural – HANSEstreetartWORKS – MARTa Museum – Herford – Germany
2012
Co-founder – Designlabel Atelier Bonk (www.atelierbonk.be)
Exhibition De Invasie in residence, Metropolis – Concertgebouw Brugge – Bruges – Belgium
First prize Urban Crafts Award
Selected online auction – Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens – Deurle – Belgium
Exhibition ‘The Wall' – Strook & Stijn Bastianen – Entrepot – Bruges – Belgium
Exhibition '60 years O'neill' – Santa Cruz – United States
Exhibition Kapow Collective – Blankenberge – Belgium
Exhibition ‘Strook' – Theo Gallery – Antwerp – Belgium
Life Performance Kask- De Invasie van Gent – Ghent – Belgium
2011
Reverse Art installation – Stuk art center – Leuven – Belgium
Exhibition ‘The ART Lounge' – International Airport Ostend-Bruges – Ostend – Belgium
Life Performance C-mine – De Invasie – Genk – Belgium
Life Performance Belgium Bookfair – Lannoo – Antwerp – Belgium
2010
Exhibition ‘Strook' – CC Scharpoord – Knokke-Heist – Belgium